cted young female, an' nacherally, when I
embarks on this yere elopement, I packs one of paw's guns. Besides,
this sweetheart of mine might get cold feet, an' try to jump the game,
an' then I'd need said weepon to make good my p'sition. But it's never
meant for that pastor! When I'm talkin' to him to prevail on him to
come along, an' that gun in my hand at the time, I does sort o' make
references to him with the muzzle. But he needn't go gettin'
birdheaded over it; thar's nothin' hostile meant!'

"'Enright explains to him satisfact'ry,' says Boggs. 'An' as you
urges, it don't mean nothin'. Folks on the brink of bein' married that
a-way gets so joyfully bewildered it comes mighty near the same as
bein' locoed.'

"'Well,' says the pinfeather party, who's been stackin' up a dust-cloud
where some one's gallopin' along about three miles over on the trail,
'if I'm any dab at a guess that's your infuriated paw pirootin' along
over yonder, an' we better get these matrimonial hobbles on without
further onreasonable delays. That old murderer would plug me; an' no
more hes'tation than if I'm a coyote! But once I'm moved up into
p'sition as his son-in-law, a feelin' of nearness an' kinship mighty
likely op'rates to stay his hand. Blood's thicker than water, an' I'm
in a hurry to get reelated to your paw.'

"But Enright has his notions of what's proper, an' he su'gests the
services be delayed ontil old Glegg gets in. Meanwhile he despatches
Jack Moore an' Dan Boggs as a gyard of honor to lead old Glegg to our
trystin' place in the New York store.

"'An' the first thing you-all do, Jack,' says Enright, as Jack an' Dan
rides away, 'you get that outcast's guns.'

"It ain't no more'n time for one drink when Jack an' Dan returns in
company of this Glegg. He's a fierce, gray old gent with a eye like a
wolf. Jest before he arrives, Enright advises the pinfeather person
an' the bride Abby, to go camp in the r'ar room so the sudden sight of
'em won't exasp'rate this parent Glegg to madness.

"'Whatever's the meanin' of this yere concourse?' demands old Glegg, as
he comes into the New York store, an' p'intin' to where Peets an' Texas
an' Cherokee Hall, along with Enright, is standin' about; 'an' why does
these hold-ups'--yere he indicates Dan an' Jack,--'denoode me of my
hardware, I'd like to know?'

"'These gents,' says Enright, 'is a quorum of that respectable body
known as the Wolfville Stranglers, otherwise a Vig'lance